Hotel Relax

“A great choice for a unique family vacation in Italy”

I just returned from a two week vacation at Hotel Relax with my son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters. The Hotel caters to Italian families and we were among just a few Americans staying there during our trip. The hotel is literally a fantasy land for children featuring an exceptional staff o… more

I just returned from a two week vacation at Hotel Relax with my son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters. The Hotel caters to Italian families and we were among just a few Americans staying there during our trip. The hotel is literally a fantasy land for children featuring an exceptional staff of young people who organize specific activities for them. Although our three-year old granddaughter did not speak any Italian (at least not at the beginning of our trip...), the staff went out of their way to include her in activities, from building sand castles at the beach to the baby dance parties every night. She even got to appear on stage in costume in a mini Peter Pan play. The soft inclusive package features a baby buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and stocks a variety of baby foods and child-friendly options. The inventive menu for the adults offers ample choices at pranzo and cena. We were able to enjoy some regional specialties during our stay including olive ascolane, fritto misto, and salumi offerings, along with the chef's surprisingly creative daily entrees. The breakfast buffet always featured fresh fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice, and fresh pastries and cornetti, along with scrambled eggs, cereal, toast, and other familiar choices for the kids. The waitstaff was terrific, and especially our waiter, Hamdi, who was so patient in dealing with our needs and those of the two babies. The hotel is located on the beautiful palm tree-lined "lungomare," a short walk to the beach, where hotel guests are offered umbrellas and chairs at the LaSerenella chalet as part of the inclusive package. The hotel rooms are small and the beds are a lot firmer than the norm in the U.S., but we didn't come here to stay inside. (My only real issue is that the showers are very tiny and slippery, especially for the toddlers and us older folks.) That said, my utmost respect and congratulations to Nicola Mozzoni, who serves as the general manager/event coordinator/ nightly master of ceremonies/trouble shooter, etc. for creating an exceptional environment for family vacations. I assure you that nothing like this at all is available in the resort areas of the U.S.

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